Combustion apparatus



y 3 R. H. GODDARD 2,085,800

COMBUSTION APPARATUS Filed Nov. 25, 1935 Patented July 6, 1937 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE '1 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for use in effecting the combustionof a mixture of a liquid fuel and a liquid oxidizing agent. Theinvention further relates to the provision of combustion apparatus ofvery light weight, which is thereby adapted for use in self-propelledrockets and in other aircraft in which unnecessary weight mustbeeliminated."

More specifically, my invention relates to that type of combustionapparatus in which one or both of the liquids which supports combustionare utilized as cooling agents for the combustion chamber walls. Oneform of such apparatus is shown in my prior Patent No. 2,016,921, issuedOctober 8, 1935.

It is the general object of my invention to improve the constructionshown in my prior patent, to the end that more complete combustion maybe attained in a minimum space and that all danger of explosion may beavoided.

A further object is to provide a construction in which sheet metal wallsof reduced thickness may be utilized.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of partswhich will be here- 35 taken along the line 33 in Fig. 1;

Figs. 4 and 5 are views similar to Fig. 1 but showing modifiedconstructions, and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of certain valveoperating mechanism.

40 Referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, I have shown parts of a combustionchamber comprising a cylindrical side wall l0, a substantiallysemispherical outer rear end wall M, an inwardly projecting andsubstantially conical inner end 45 wall l2 and supply pipes l4 and I5for oxidizing and combustible liquids. Preferably the pipe l4 suppliesthe liquid oxidizing agent such as liquid air or liquid oxygen and thepipe l5 supplies the liquid fuel such as gasoline. All of these partsare preferably formed of thin sheet steel or of other sheet metal ofrelatively high strength.

A valve rod 20 is slidable in the supply pipe I4 and is provided at itsouter end with a cup-shaped 5 head 2| positioned outside of therestricted opening 22 in the nozzle 23 which forms the outlet of thesupply pipe Il.

The conical inner end wall |2 preferably has an annular flat baseportion 25 by which it is firmly secured within the cylindrical body II.The coni- 5 cal inner end wall l2 also has perforations 20 which permitthe pressures on both sides of the conical end wall to be equalized andwhich thus in effect transfer any rearward pressure in the combustionchamber to the dome-shaped outer 10 end wall II, which is of the sectionbest adapted to resist such rearward pressure.

The supply pipe I 5 (Fig. 3) enters the combustion chamber in asubstantially tangential direction, the inner end of the supply pipebeing preferably located in an oil'setportion of the cylindrical sidewall l0. The supply pipe |5 has a nozzle portion 32'with a restrictedopening 33 and has a valve rod 35 slidable therein and provided with aconical head 33.

When the rod 35 and head 33 'are pushed ina ward or to the left in Fig.3, the opening 33 will be closed and the liquid supply through the pipe|5 will be shut oil. Similarly when the rod 20 and head 2| (Fig. 1) forthe supply pipe II are drawn upward, the head 2| closes the opening 22in the nozzle 23 and thus shuts oi! the supply of the second liquid. y

Preferably both l q ids are shut oil at the same time, so that no excessof either liquid may be allowed to enter the combustion chamber.

In Fig. 6 I have indicated diagrammatically a form of operatingmechanism by which the valve heads 2| and 36 may be simultaneously movedto closed positions. For this purpose the valve rod 20 is connected to abell crank pivoted at 4|,

and the valve rod 35 is connected to a'lever l2 pivoted at 43.

The upper ends of the bell crank 40 and lever 42 are connected to apiston rod 44 operated by a piston 45 in a cylinder 46 to which isconnected a pressure supply pipe 41. When a gas or liquid under pressureis supplied to the cylinder 46, the piston 45 will be effective throughthe described connections to simultaneously move the valve rod heads and35 to the positions in which the supply of liquids through the pipes I4and I5 is positively shut oil.

Under actual test, my improved combustion apparatus has proved highlysuccessful and 'eflicient. As the liquid entering under pressure throughthe pipe It strikes the cup-shaped head 2| of the valve, the liquid isdeflected and caused to spread rearward and outward in the form of aconical spray, more or less closely adjacent the 'conical inner end walll2 of the combustion chamber.

At the same time, the. second liquid enters through the pipe IS in atangential direction and under such pressure that it whirls aroundclosely adjacent the outer cylindrical wall I0 01 the combustionchamber. The two streams or sprays of liquid are thus traveling at highspeed in directions substantially perpendicular to each other, thuseflecting a very thorough and complete mixture of the liquids and withvery complete combustion resulting from such mixture.

The products of combustion flow outward away from the conical inner endwall l2 in the direction of the arrows a in Fig. 1 and escape through anoutwardly enlarged nozzle portion as indicated at 50 in Fig. 4, when theinvention is embodied in a rocket construction.

The provision of flat base or flange 25 at the outer edge of the conicalinwardly projecting end wall l2 provides increased space for combustionat the periphery of the chamber where the mixture of the two liquids ismost complete.

In Fig. 4, I have shown my invention embodied in a combustion chamber 52of substantially spherical shape to which a nozzle 50 may be attached aspreviously described. The inverted conical rear wall 53 has its base 54secured to the inner surface of the spherical chamber 52, and theconstruction and operation is otherwise as previously described.Perforations in the wall 53 are indicated at 55. This form of myinvention provides the greatest possible strength for the weight ofmetal involved.

-In Fig. 5, I have shown a construction similar to that appearing inFig. 1 except for the omission of the semi-spherical outer rear end wallI I and also for the omission of the perforations 26 in the conical endwall 60. With this form of my invention, the results are closely similarto those obtained by the useof the construction shown in Fig. 1, butsomewhat heavier metal is required for the end wall 60, as in this casethe wall must resist the rearward pressure in the combustion chamber 6|.

All forms of the invention, however, possess the important advantagethat the combustion chamber has increased capacity near the peripheralouter walls where the mixture of liquids is most complete, and hasdecreased capacity near the center where the liquids will be onlyslightly intermingled. The position of the valve heads 2| and 36 closelyadjacent the restricted openings 22 and 33 is of substantial importanceas the closing of the valves at these points insures that the supplypipes each contain only one kind of liquid, so that no explosive mixturecan be formed in either supply pipe after the valves have been closed.

It will be understood that the mechanism shown in Fig. 6 is diagrammaticand illustrative only and that any other suitable operating mechanismmay be substituted.

Having thus described my invention and th advantages thereof, I do notwish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than asset forth in the claims, but what I claim is:-

1. In combustion apparatus employing liquid combustible and oxidizingagents, a combustion chamber having a substantially conical memberforming the major part of the effective rear end wall of said chamberand projecting inwardly and toward the outlet of said chamber, means toadmit one of said liquids near the center of said conical end wall,means to deflect said liquid outwardly and rearwardly in a conical sprayalong said wall and away from the outlet of said chamber, and means toadmit the second liquid at the periphery of said combustion chamber andadjacent the base of said end wall, said second liquid entering saidchamber substantially tangentially at the periphery thereof and adjacentthe base of said conical end wall and traveling circumferentially insaid chamber and substantially perpendicular to the path of movement ofsaid first liquid.

2. In combustion apparatus employing liquid combustible and oxidizingagents, a combustion chamber having a substantially conical memberforming the major part of the eflective rear end wall of said chamberand projecting inwardly and toward the outlet of said chamber, a supplypipe for one of said liquids entering said chamber through the center ofsaid conical end wall, means to deflect said liquid outwardly andrearwardly in a conical spray along said wall and away from the outletof said chamber, and a second supply pipe for the second liquid enteringsaid chamber at the periphery of said chamber and adjacent the base ofsaid end wall, said second liquid entering said chamber in asubstantially tangential direction and traveling circumferentially insaid chamber and substantially perpendicular to the path of movement ofsaid first liquid.

3. In combustion apparatus employing liquid combustible and oxidizingagents. a combustion chamber having a substantially conical memberforming the major part of the eifective rear end wall of said chamberand projecting inwardly and toward the outlet of said chamber, a deviceto admit one of said liquids near the center of said conical end wall,means to deflect said liquid outwardly and rearwardly in a conical sprayalong said wall and away from the outlet of said chamber, a device toadmit the second liquid at the periphery of said combustion chamber andadjacent the base of said end wall, said second liquid entering saidchamber substantially tangentially and traveling circumferentially insaid chamber and substantially perpendicular to the path of movement ofsaid first liquid, the points of entry of said two liquids being widelyspaced apart, and means to simultaneously close said admittingdevicesfor both liquids closely adjacent the widely separated points ofentrance of said two liquids to said chamber.

4. In combustion apparatus employing liquid combustible and oxidizingagents, a combustion chamber having an outwardly arched outer rearspaced from said outer wall and projecting toward the outlet of saidchamber, said latter wall having perforations therethrough, means tosupply one of said liquids to said combustion chamdirected conical sprayadjacent the inn r face of said inner end wall, and means to supply thesecond liquid to said chamber in the form of a circumferentially movingjet adjacent the outer edge portion of said conical inner end wall andadjacent the periphery of said combustion chamher.

5. In combustion apparatus employing liquid combustible and oxidizingagents, a combustion chamber having an outwardly arched outer rear endwall, a substantially conical inner end wall spaced from said outer walland projecting toward the outlet of said chamber, said latter wallhavingperforations therethrough, means to sup- '55 end wall, a substantiallyconical inner end wall 60 her in the form of an outwardly andrearwardly.

ply one of said liquids to said combustion chamber in the form of anoutwardly and rearwardly directed conical spray adjacent the inner faceof said inner end wall, means to supply the second liquid to saidchamber in the form of a circumferentially moving jet adjacent the outeredge portion of said conical inner end wall the points of entry of saidtwo liquids being widely spaced apart, and means to simultaneouslyinterrupt the flow bf both liquids closely adjacent their widelyseparated points of entry into said combustion chamber.

6. In combustion apparatus employing liquid combustible and oxidizingagents, a combustion chamber having an arched outer rear end wall, aninwardly projecting and substantially conical innerend wall spaced fromsaid outer rear wall, said inner wall having perforations therethroughcommunicating with the enclosed space between said end walls, means tosupply one of said liquids to said combustion chamber in the form of anoutwardly and rearwardly directed conical spray adjacent said inner endwall and moving away from the outlet of said chamber, and means tosupply the second liquid to said chamber in the form ofacircumferentially moving jet adjacent and'in front of the outer edgeportion of said conical inner end wall, said conical end wall having arelatively narrow annular flat base portion secured to the side wall ofsaid combustion chamber.-

7. In combustion apparatus employing liquid combustible and oxidizingagents, a combustion chamber having an arched outer rear end wall, aninwardly projecting and substantially conical inner end wallsubstantially spaced from said outer wall, said inner wall havingperforations therethrough and having a substantially flat and relativelynarrow outer annular base portion, means to admit one of said liquidsnear the center of said conical inner end wall, means to deflect saidliquid outwardly and rearwardly in a conical spray along said inner wallportion and base and away from the outlet of said chamber and means toadmit the second liquid at the periphery of said combustion chamber andin front of and adjacent t e base of said inner end wall, said secondliq d entering said chamber substantially tangentially and travelingcircumferentially in said chamber and substantially perpendicular to thepath of movement of said first liquid.

ROBERT H. GODDARD.

